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Charlie Parker session details

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June 6, 1950 (34 items; TT = 52:03)
Unknown recording studio, New York NY
Commercial for Mercury

Charlie Parker (as); J.B. "Dizzy" Gillespie (tpt); Thelonious Monk (p); Dillon "Curley" Russell (b); Buddy Rich (d)
1 Bloomdido (take 1 (fs)) (C. Parker) 0:33
2 Bloomdido (take 2 (fs)) (C. Parker) 0:21
3 Bloomdido (take 3 (fs)) (C. Parker) 0:16
4 Bloomdido (take 4) (C. Parker) 3:24
5 An Oscar for Treadwell (take 1 (inc)) (C. Parker) 1:53
6 An Oscar for Treadwell (take 2 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:56
7 An Oscar for Treadwell (take 3) (C. Parker) 3:22
8 An Oscar for Treadwell (take 4) (C. Parker) 3:24
9 Mohawk (take 1 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:56
10 Mohawk (take 2 (fs)) (C. Parker) 0:11
11 Mohawk (take 3) (C. Parker) 3:49
12 Mohawk (take 4 (fs)) (C. Parker) 0:34
13 Mohawk (take 5 (inc)) (C. Parker) 1:18
14 Mohawk (take 6) (C. Parker) 3:33
15 My Melancholy Baby (take 1) (G. Norton-E. Burnett) 3:14
16 My Melancholy Baby (coda rehearsal) (G. Norton-E. Burnett) 0:02
17 My Melancholy Baby (take 2) (G. Norton-E. Burnett) 3:22
18 Leap Frog (take 1 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:26
19 Leap Frog (take 2 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:17
20 Leap Frog (take 3 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:39
21 Leap Frog (take 4 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:17
22 Leap Frog (take 5) (C. Parker) 2:32
23 Leap Frog (take 6 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:22
24 Leap Frog (take 7 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:14
25 Leap Frog (take 8) (C. Parker) 2:01
26 Leap Frog (take 9) (C. Parker) 2:04
27 Leap Frog (take 10 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:42
28 Leap Frog (take 11) (C. Parker) 2:28
29 Relaxing with Lee (take 1 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:34
30 Relaxing with Lee (take 2 (inc)) (C. Parker) 1:07
31 Relaxing with Lee (take 3 (fs)) (C. Parker) 0:08
32 Relaxing with Lee (take 4) (C. Parker) 3:54
33 Relaxing with Lee (take 5 (inc)) (C. Parker) 0:25
34 Relaxing with Lee (take 6) (C. Parker) 2:45

1 Bloomdido (take 1 (fs))
CD: Verve B0024802

2 Bloomdido (take 2 (fs))
CD: Verve B0024802

3 Bloomdido (take 3 (fs))
CD: Verve B0024802

4 Bloomdido (take 4)
78 rpm: Mercury/Clef 11058
45 rpm: Clef EPC 255, EPC 278
10" LP: Clef MGC 512
12" LP: Verve MGV 8006, MGV 8184, MGV 8230, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Verve B0024802, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

5 An Oscar for Treadwell (take 1 (inc))
CD: Verve B0024802

6 An Oscar for Treadwell (take 2 (inc))
CD: Verve B0024802

7 An Oscar for Treadwell (take 3)
12" LP: Verve MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Verve B0024802, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

8 An Oscar for Treadwell (take 4)
78 rpm: Mercury/Clef 11082
45 rpm: Clef EPC 511
10" LP: Clef MGC 512
12" LP: Verve MGV 8002, MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Verve B0024802, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

9 Mohawk (take 1 (inc))
CD: Verve B0024802

10 Mohawk (take 2 (fs))
CD: Verve B0024802

11 Mohawk (take 3)
12" LP: Verve MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Verve B0024802, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

12 Mohawk (take 4 (fs))
CD: Verve B0024802

13 Mohawk (take 5 (inc))
CD: Verve B0024802

14 Mohawk (take 6)
78 rpm: Mercury/Clef 11082
45 rpm: Clef EPC 511
10" LP: Clef MGC 512
12" LP: Verve MGV 8002, MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Verve B0024802, Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

15 My Melancholy Baby (take 1)
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

16 My Melancholy Baby (coda rehearsal)
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

17 My Melancholy Baby (take 2)
78 rpm: Mercury/Clef 11058
45 rpm: Clef EPC 255
10" LP: Clef MGC 512
12" LP: Verve MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

18 Leap Frog (take 1 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

19 Leap Frog (take 2 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

20 Leap Frog (take 3 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

21 Leap Frog (take 4 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

22 Leap Frog (take 5)
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

23 Leap Frog (take 6 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

24 Leap Frog (take 7 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

25 Leap Frog (take 8)
12" LP: Verve MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

26 Leap Frog (take 9)
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

27 Leap Frog (take 10 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

28 Leap Frog (take 11)
78 rpm: Mercury/Clef 11076
45 rpm: Clef EPC 511
10" LP: Clef MGC 512
12" LP: Nerve MGV 8002, MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

29 Relaxing with Lee (take 1 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

30 Relaxing with Lee (take 2 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

31 Relaxing with Lee (take 3 (fs))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

32 Relaxing with Lee (take 4)
12" LP: Verve MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

33 Relaxing with Lee (take 5 (inc))
12" LP: Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4)

34 Relaxing with Lee (take 6)
78 rpm: Mercury/Clef 11076
45 rpm: Clef EPC 511
10" LP: Clef MGC 512
12" LP: Verve MGV 8006, Verve (J) 00MJ 3268/77
CD: Verve 837141 (Disc 4), Frémeaux & Associés FA 1338

"Charlie Parker and His Quintet Featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Curly Russell [sic], and Buddy Rich" were booked for a "Special Be-Bop Recording Session." It had been six years since Parker and Gillespie's last studio session, although their paths had crossed on stage a few times in those years. Gillespie is a little out of sync, but has some great moments on "Mohawk." Monk had not recorded since July 1948, and would not record again for more than a year, so it's a treat to hear him.

"Bloomdido" is a tribute to August Bloom, a radio personality and jazz aficionado from Buffalo. Philadelphia's Oscar Treadwell is the inspiration for "An Oscar for Treadwell." "Mohawk" is a tip of the hat to Ted "Mohawk" Sturgis, who occasionally replaced Russell and others in Gillespie's groups.

I'm grateful to Bruno Leicht for help with this session.

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